Arthur Fellig’s ability to arrive at a crime scene just as the cops did was so uncanny that he became known as “Weegee,” claiming that he functioned as a human Ouija board. Weegee documented better than any other photographer the crime, grit, and complex humanity of midcentury New York City. In Flash, we get a portrait not only of the man (both flawed and deeply talented, with generous appetites for publicity, women, and hot pastrami) but also of the fascinating time and place that he occupied.

From self-taught immigrant kid to newshound to art-world darling to latter-day caricature—moving from the dangerous streets of New York City to the celebrity culture of Los Angeles and then to Europe for a quixotic late phase of experimental photography and filmmaking—Weegee lived a life just as vivid as the scenes he captured. Flash is an unprecedented and ultimately moving view of the man now regarded as an innovator and a pioneer, one whose photographs are among the most powerful images of urban existence ever made.

Christopher Bonanos is the city editor of New York magazine, where he writes and edits stories about urban affairs and culture. His previous book was INSTANT: THE STORY OF POLAROID, published by Princeton Architectural Press. He lives in New York with his wife and their son.

Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine. She has also written for GQ, ESPN the Magazine, and many other publications. Fleishman Is in Trouble is her first novel.